Adam and Eve

Continued from yesterday…

Adam and Eve. The name Adam means man, or to be red, and speaks to the physical and material aspects of humanity. The woman’s name is Eve, and means to breathe, to live, or to give life, and refers to the spiritual. The names communicate the inexplicable connectedness of matter and spirit that results in a living being.

As the story is told, life for Adam begins in paradise in union with God. A body is formed from the dust of the ground, representing the earthly nature of humanity, and what we know today as visible matter. Similar to the chair you are sitting in, or the book or device you are holding in your hand, the body was lifeless ordinary matter until God breathed spirit—the essence of divine being—into humanity and Adam became a living being or a soul.

The subtlety of an allegorical interpretation of the text communicates the quintessence of life. To be human is to inhabit visible matter with all its limitations, while simultaneously being imbued with the divine spirit that knows no limits. The mind can identify with ordinary matter that points out the separation, or it can identify with spirit, which means being aware of the presence of the divine, and our unity with all. When we identify with the separation—the ego—it ultimately leads to pain and suffering; while identifying with spirit creates a mindset of bliss in paradise.

To be continued tomorrow…

Adapted from Section 2 of Awakening To I Am Love by David Youngren